dog sitting

My son went out of town for the weekend and I'm watching his dogs, Josie and Bonzai.  Observing their personalities and the dynamics between the 4 dogs is interesting.

Josie is a 3 year-old beagle mix that my son got at a rescue shelter.  She has to be the most well-mannered dog I've ever seen.  My Bear loves fruit and any time I make a smoothie, he's at my side, waiting for his share of strawberries and bananas.  Josie was near us on the floor, just looking at us.  She didn't beg, just watched us with interest.  I offered her a banana, which she sniffed, took delicately in her teeth, and dropped on the floor next to her as if to say, "thanks.  I don't really like these but it was nice of you to offer."

Josie is a mopey animal.  They should call her Eyeore.   She likes to sit close to you on the floor or couch and press hard against you.  She also has a tendency to sigh, with a long, indrawn breath through her nose and then a loud exhale through her mouth.  She sounds like my mother just before she'd raise her eyes to the sky and say, "God give me patience!"  Josie pretty much uses it in the same context.  My son tells me that if he and his girlfriend are talking too long at night when Josie wants to sleep, she'll sigh at them.

She likes to sleep with her legs rigid, sticking stiffly straight out, eyes half closed.  The first time she spent the night I thought she died.  I was freaking out wondering how I was going to break it to my son that his dog passed away in my care.  Luckily, she moved.

Bonzai isn't a year old yet but he's the tallest of the group.  His mother was part boxer but we don't see any boxer in him.  He's brindle and white and built like a greyhound but with a bigger head.  He likes to wrap himself around your back and lick the back of your neck.  When he plays he makes sounds like a woman yelling.  Yesterday I ran out of the shower thinking there was someone in my house.  In retrospect, wet and naked probably isn't the best way to confront an intruder.

He's very submissive, which is just as hard to deal with as a dominant dog.  Yesterday he slipped past me out the door.  I called his name and he dropped to the ground and showed me his stomach.  He got up, I grabbed for his collar, and he dropped again.  I let go, he took a step towards me, I reached for him and down he went again.  It took us four tries to go the 3 feet back into the house.  Meanwhile, the other dogs were watching through the window.  I think they were laughing.

The three big dogs really like each other.  Aki, the maltese, hates them all.  He spends most of his time in my lap, trying not to get trampled or knocked off of the couch by wagging tails.  Bonzai chases him around like he's a toy.

The coolest thing about dogs is how they want to be with us all the time.  (It's also the most annoying thing about them).  I love watching tv with a dog on my lap, another by my side and still another next to us.  Night time when everyone is relaxed and sleepy is the best.  What other creature loves us that much?